The school bell echoed through the empty hallways of the academic building, carrying with it a lingering, hollow sense of finality.
After a brief moment of silence, the students of Class 5 erupted into a cacophony, as if released from some invisible restraint.
They exchanged contact information on their personal terminals, scribbled their names on each other's school uniforms, embraced tightly, and loudly promised to get together again after the exams.
The entire classroom was enveloped in a complex mix of excitement, melancholy, and uncertainty about the future.
Qin Feng did not take part in any of it.
Holding the thin examination admission ticket that carried the weight of three years of his youth and his future, he walked out of the noisy classroom alone and found a quiet corner behind the academic building.
He leaned against the cold wall, lowering his head to carefully examine the ticket in his hand.
The admission ticket was made of a special composite material, tough yet smooth, with all the necessary information clearly printed in the standard Empire font.
[Empire Unified Secondary Education Placement Exam Admission Ticket]
[Name: Qin Feng]
[Student ID: 7351098]
[Test Center: Qimingxing No.12 Middle School]
[Exam Room: Building B - Comprehensive Testing Ground 7]
[Exam Schedule and Subjects:]
[Day 1 Morning (8:30-11:30): Physical Test Subject 1 (Vitality Index Assessment), Physical Test Subject 2 (Comprehensive Physical Fitness Test: including 100-meter dash, peak punching power, neural reaction speed)]
[Day 1 Afternoon (14:00-16:00): Academic Subject 1 (Comprehensive History of the Empire, Spiritual Energy Basics)]
[Day 2 Morning (9:00-11:00): Academic Subject 2 (Imperial Standard Language, Exotic Language Basics)]
The Empire's educational placement was a precise and ruthless screening system.
It didn't just place importance on the "Vitality Index," which determined one's potential in the Martial Dao; the requirements for academic subjects were equally stringent.
Every component of the physical test was precisely quantified into points, which, along with the Vitality Index, ultimately formed the "Martial Arts Points" that would decide one's future.
Meanwhile, the four academic subjects were evaluated on a letter-grade system.
One's composite score for all subjects had to reach "A" grade to even qualify for their "Martial Arts Points" to be considered in the admissions pool for top-tier Martial Arts High Schools.
A shortcoming in any area meant being completely cut off from the path of the Martial Dao.
Qin Feng carefully put the admission ticket away in an inside pocket.
He looked up at the patch of sky, perfectly squared off by the surrounding buildings.
The sky was a deep blue, and anti-gravity vehicles glided silently along their designated sky-lanes.
Nothing was different from a month ago, the day he was called into the office to speak with Li Weiguo.
But to him, the entire world had been transformed.
He turned, walked down the stairs, and merged into the bustling crowd of students leaving the school.
The school gate was packed with parents waiting to pick up their children. Their faces all bore the same expression of nervousness and anticipation.
Qin Feng spotted the familiar figure at a glance.
Qin Dahai stood alone under the shade of a plane tree, his posture as straight as a pine, his empty left sleeve swaying gently in the breeze.
Unlike the other parents, he wasn't looking around anxiously. He just stood there quietly, his calm gaze fixed on the school gate.
The moment Qin Feng walked out, his father's eyes locked onto him instantly.
Qin Feng walked over quickly.
"Dad."
"Let's go."
Qin Dahai didn't ask a single question. He simply turned and walked shoulder-to-shoulder with his son toward the maglev bus stop in the distance.
Once they were on the bus, Qin Feng took out the admission ticket and handed it to his father.
Qin Dahai took it, his eyes falling on the "Test Center" line.
"Twelfth Middle School... That's very close to your uncle's place."
He looked up, watching the streetscape rushing by outside the window, then glanced at his son beside him.
"It takes over an hour and two transfers to get there from our house. The exam is early tomorrow morning. That's cutting it too close."
Qin Dahai made his decision, his tone leaving no room for argument.
"Tonight, you're staying at your uncle's."
As he spoke, he raised his wrist, activated his personal terminal, and placed a call to Wang Ming.
A light screen popped up, showing his uncle Wang Ming's grease-streaked, slightly weary face. In the background, the deafening clang of metal and the roar of machinery were as loud as ever.
"Dahai? What's up?" Wang Ming shouted over the noise.
"Ah Ming, it's Xiaofeng's entrance exam, and the test center is at Twelfth Middle School. We're coming to crash at your place for the night."
Qin Dahai's voice cut through the noisy background and came through clearly.
"Come! You have to come! I'll call Li Juan right now and tell her to make extra dishes tonight! The entrance exam, that's a big deal! I'll go ask the foreman for time off and head home early!"
"Alright."
The call ended.
The father and son traveled the rest of the way in silence, the bus swaying gently.
...
Evening. Hongye Community.
It was even more crowded here than in the Silver Gull community. The gaps between buildings were narrower, and the sky was a tangled mess of energy conduits and communication cables.
Qin Feng and his father walked up to the familiar residential building, carrying some fruit and nutritional supplements.
Before they even reached the door, they could hear the laughter of children chasing each other and playing inside.
Wang Ming opened the door.
He had changed out of his grease-stained work clothes into a clean set of house clothes. His hair was neatly combed, and he looked much more refreshed.
"Brother, Xiaofeng, come on in!"
He enthusiastically welcomed them inside.
His aunt, Li Juan, was busy in the small kitchen, wearing an apron. The clatter of pots and pans mingled with the roar of the range hood.
His three younger cousins saw Qin Feng and excitedly crowded around him.
"Brother Feng!"
"Brother Feng, you're here!"
The youngest one grabbed onto Qin Feng's pant leg, looking up at him with a small, curious face.
"Go on, go on, don't bother your brother. Let him rest for a bit."
Wang Ming said with a smile, shooing the little ones away.
He pulled over two chairs for Qin Feng and Qin Dahai to sit, then personally poured them two glasses of hot water.
"Brother, don't you worry, the room is all set. Xiaohao, Xiaojie, and I will squeeze in together so Xiaofeng can have a room to himself. I'll make sure he gets a good night's sleep tonight."
"Sorry for the trouble."
Qin Dahai said.
"We're family. Don't say that."
Wang Ming waved his hand dismissively.
He looked at Qin Feng, his eyes full of concern.
A month ago, when Qin Feng had come to borrow money, he had still looked sickly and melancholic.
But now, although the young man before him was still lean, his posture was straight, his presence was steady, and his eyes held a reassuring confidence.
He knew his nephew's chronic illness had been cured and that he had spent the last month training arduously at the Extreme Martial Arts Hall.
But he didn't dare ask for details about his progress, for fear of putting more pressure on the boy.
"Xiaofeng, you must be exhausted after a month at the Martial Arts Hall, huh?"
Wang Ming asked, taking a more tactful approach.
"It was fine. I'm used to it."
Qin Feng replied.
"That's good, that's good."
Wang Ming rubbed his hands together. "Don't be nervous. Just treat tomorrow like another test at the Martial Arts Hall. Just perform as you normally do."
"Yeah, I know, Uncle."
From the kitchen, his aunt Li Juan poked her head out. Her face showed a hint of exhaustion, but her smile was genuine.
"Brother Dahai, Xiaofeng, dinner will be ready soon. Have a seat, watch some TV for a bit."
Half an hour later, a dinner so sumptuous it could be called extravagant was served on the small dining table.
A whole Chiyu Chicken, roasted to a glistening golden-brown—a centerpiece dish they would only splurge on for holidays.
A large platter of stir-fried peppers with shredded pork, made with real Exotic Beast Meat. The slices of meat were thick and incredibly fragrant, unlike the synthetic meat they usually ate.
A pot of rich, creamy white broth simmered from Exotic Beast bones, with vibrant green scallions floating on top.
There were also several fresh vegetable dishes.
The rich, meaty aroma instantly filled the entire apartment.
The three younger cousins' eyes went wide as they gathered around the table, their mouths watering uncontrollably.
"Dinner's ready!"
With Wang Ming's command, the children cheered and immediately dug in with their chopsticks.
"Eat slowly, no one's going to steal it from you!"
Li Juan chided them, but her chopsticks never stopped moving, piling food into her children's bowls until they resembled small mountains.
"Brother Feng, eat the chicken leg!"
His eldest cousin picked up the biggest drumstick and placed it in Qin Feng's bowl.
"You eat it."
Qin Feng placed it back in his cousin's bowl.
"You eat it, you eat it! You have an exam tomorrow, you need the strength!"
The boy stubbornly placed it back.
Qin Dahai and Wang Ming sat to the side, their chopsticks untouched, just silently watching the children with smiles on their faces.
Qin Dahai took out a bottle of cheap white liquor he had brought from home and poured a glass for Wang Ming and himself.
"Brother, this..."
"Have a drink."
Qin Dahai's words were brief and to the point.
The two men clinked their glasses and downed the liquor in one go.
As the fiery liquid went down, Wang Ming's face flushed slightly red.
"Brother, that kid Xiaofeng... he's going to go far. Looking at his spirit and energy, it's like he's a whole new person. Tomorrow will definitely be no problem for him."
"Let's hope you're right."
Qin Dahai refilled his glass.
The meal was a lively and heartwarming affair.
The three younger cousins ate until their faces were shiny with grease, their small faces beaming with pure bliss.
For them, this was perhaps the most satisfying meal they'd had in months.
After dinner, Li Juan and Wang Ming insisted that Qin Feng and his father not lift a finger, and the two of them deftly cleared the table.
The night deepened.
Wang Ming led Qin Feng to the small room that had been specially prepared for him.
The room was small, containing only a bed and a desk, but it was spotless. The bedding smelled of sunshine and soap.
"Xiaofeng, get to sleep early. Don't think about anything."
Wang Ming added another reminder before leaving.
"Okay, Uncle."
Qin Feng closed the door, and the room fell silent.
He could hear his uncle and cousins in the next room, squeezed onto one bed, their hushed voices carrying through the wall.
He could hear his father and aunt still talking softly in the living room.
And he could hear the distant, sleepless hum of the city outside his window.
He took off his clothes and lay down on the bed.
After a month of being pushed to its absolute limit, his body had reached a delicate state of equilibrium.
Tomorrow was the day to test the results of all his efforts.
Qin Feng closed his eyes, and his breathing soon became steady and deep.
He slept dreamlessly through the night.